Well, that answers that.

Aside from the 4 people here on the blog itself, we heard from a few others. So, thanks for letting us know you're there. Sometimes i wonder if i'm posting words and photos into a great and lonely void. It's nice to know that somewhere there are a few people who see this thing from time to time.

On that note, here are a few shots of what we've been trying to be up to these past few weeks. We've been "alone" interior here for the past 3 weeks. Both sets of our partners are on furlough (one just beginning and the other on their way back). It's no secret that we're new (BRAND NEW) at this life interior - and some days have been just... just plain mean. Here are some photos from the good days. :)

 Our giant baby is a sweetheart, and he has won over many a granny here with his wily grin and enormous thighs (he gets THOSE from his mother).

Our 3 year old is more rambunctious than a hyperactive puppy. She's been going stir-crazy without kids who speak her language. She does her level best to play with the village kids - i think she does a great job - but at the end of the day, she still feels like she "didn't even play at all". I think she's just as hungry for socialization as we're getting.

One of our neighbor boys fresh back from his afternoon bath at the river. His favorite purple boots are all the wardrobe he needs!

A neighbor's puppy loves on our crawling (speed crawling) son. Look at the licky tongue! Quinn belly laughed over and over at that - much to the delight of the room full of grannies and little girls.

At a 4-day ceremony recently. One of our headmen (far right) dons a fancy black velvet vest. Ahem. And matching velvet shorts.

The end of one rice season - and opening of the next.

Have gongs and alcohol? Good. Those are the basics for this ceremony. Our neighbors basically drank and smoked and played those gongs over and over again for 4 days straight. Until the alcohol ran out. Just when we thought they couldn't really get any more falling-down-drunk...they started those gongs up again and poured out another few gallons of rice whiskey. Yikes! Big learning time for us.

Oh, and that house. Things are moving. Very slowly, yes. But moving nonetheless. And most days, they're moving in the forward direction. Here is a before shot of the bathroom, kitchen, back door, messy roofline area.

 After the roof got fixed, the tree knocked down (with a small axe, a machete and two guys pushing with all their body weight), the back porch framed up, the kitchen and bathroom walls framed as well. Though not photographed yet, the walls are cemented and Phil made a back door that is hanging in its place. I'll try to get those photos going. This was last week...